Hearts in the Sky: Darkest Dawn
by Wings of the Angel of Music
Summary: My first fanfic! It's a few generations after the lake cats...and three triplets, Badgerkit, Willowkit, and Applekit are born to a new prophecy and a new Clan, NightClan...pretty corny but I like it :- lol. I DO NOT OWN WARRIORS AND ALL THAT, etc.
1. Prologue

Prologue

The clearing was dappled with splashes of moonlight. Overgrown heather and wild grass sprouted in the fine dirt, growing in clumps until reaching the wide border surrounding the space. A black sky hovered over the moor, letting wispy fog and clouds drift over the almost-full moon as it climbed higher into the sky on its silver path.

There were no stars that night.

Cats, some black as the night above, some white as the clouds obscuring it, and others with ranging pelts, fought viciously in a battle. There were piercing yowls of war, screeches of pain, and hisses of victory, echoing slightly in the fields. Two Clans, locked in a tussle of bitterness and hatred, until one leader would signal defeat.

In the thick of the battle, a large, golden tomcat wrestled a wiry brown warrior off a frightened white she-cat with pretty green eyes.

"Go, Doveflight!" he ordered, scratching the brown cat's soft underbelly with freshly sharpened claws. The other cat screeched and bolted, ears laid back in fear of this strong leader. Doveflight flicked her dusty tail, nodded, and leapt into a fight.

The gold cat turned to survey his losses. WindClan was a fast, strong Clan, but they were no match for these aggressors. Distracted momentarily, he was knocked off his paws by a sleek, black cat and pinned firmly to the ground.

"Hello, Falconstar," the she-cat growled, swiping an claw ferociously across his face. Falconstar blinked, blood masking his vision. One sweep of his amber eyes, however, let him clearly see the fierce black cat with bitter green eyes and crooked tail.

"Jaggedfeather?" he gasped.

_Two kits pounced on each other in the WindClan nursery. One, a larger, bracken tom, was quickly bowled over by the other, a small black she-cat. She dug her paws into the soft sand and growled playfully. "Get out of my camp, you ShadowClan invader!"_

_Snowstorm gently scolded her. "Now, Jaggedkit. Play gently with Falconkit."_

"_Kits will be kits," purred the other mother, Ashflower. _

_Jaggedkit rolled over Falconkit, and settled in a sitting position. "It's okay, Mother," she mewed, licking Falconkit's ear. "We would _never_ hurt each other."_

"_Promise," Falconkit added, flicking his tail over Jaggedkit's shoulder, who nodded fervently in agreement. _

The wiry black she-cat clawed his vulnerable underbelly, knocking the breath out of Falconstar. "I am not Jaggedfeather anymore," she hissed. "I am the leader of NightClan; I have become Jaggedstar."

"And StarClan has seen it fit to grant you nine lives?" Falconstar choked, unable to admit to himself that this angry, half-mad she-cat was his old friend.

"There are others than StarClan…there are others than the Moonpool," Jaggedstar scoffed. "Fools like you still choose to believe in _them_, however…"

She struck a harsh blow to his face, raking sharp claws through his ear. "I choose otherwise. Perhaps it is not the life of a warrior that you know, but do you remember the stories of the Tribe of the mountains? Pity _their_ way didn't work for them in the long run, but I will be stronger."

"Are you still upset about Doveflight?" cried Falconstar, struggling beneath Jaggedstar's strong hold. He was still shocked about the change of his friend.

"What do I care about her anymore?" Jaggedstar snorted. She nodded her chin to the left of them. Falconstar followed her pleased gaze and saw, to his horror, the life bleeding out of the white she-cat.

"Doveflight!" Falconstar felt a surge of rage and disbelief shock him, and it gave him the strength he needed to forget the past and counterattack. He leapt up, out of Jaggedstar's grip, and pounced with open jaws and unsheathed claws.

"_These kits have reached the age of six moons, and are ready for their apprentice names and mentors," announced Stormstar, the grey leader of WindClan. Jaggedkit and Falconkit waved their tails in excitement._

"_Reedtail, you are ready to have an apprentice," Stormstar turned his face to gaze at the young warrior. "You will be mentor to Falconpaw."_

_Falconpaw quivered with fright and anticipation, and stepped forward to touch noses with his mentor. Jaggedkit stared at them with wide eyes full of awe and wonder._

"_My deputy, Cloudheart, is now ready to be a mentor again now that Reedtail has received his warrior name. Cloudheart, you will mentor Jaggedpaw."_

_Trying to act dignified, the newly named Jaggedpaw stepped forward to touch noses with the black and white spotted tom. She raised her tail and twitched it in exhilaration. An apprentice, at last! _

"_Falconpaw! Jaggedpaw! Falconpaw! Jaggedpaw!" the Clan greeted them warmly. The three other apprentices, Yellowpaw, Dovepaw, and Snakepaw licked their ears as the crescent moon floated above._

Falconstar felt his teeth connect in Jaggedstar's flank. She turned and raked her claws along the side of his face once more, making already deep wounds deeper. He yowled in pain, letting go.

She snarled, bowling him over onto his back. This time, however, he was momentarily stunned. He clawed her belly and struggled to attack higher.

Jaggedstar reared back, attempting to gather momentum, but Falconstar wiggled out of her reach just as she plummeted back down to the dust.

He leapt onto her back. He bit down at the scruff of her neck and clawed her spine. Jaggedstar shook him, trying to loosen his grip. Falconstar stumbled, but kept clawing at her. Black tufts of fur fell onto the ground, stained slightly with blood.

Jaggedstar reared back once more, causing Falconstar to drop onto the ground. She turned and bit his spine, clawing at his legs. Falconstar scrambled to get free of the piercing pain on his back, to counterattack. "What is all this about?"

"Oh, you know, Falconstar," Jaggedstar growled, swiping her claws at his throat. Blood splattered onto the dust.

Falconstar shook his head and hunched his shoulders. He realized he did know.

He just didn't want to.

"_Falconpaw?" _

_Falconpaw looked up from the mouse he was eating. The sun was just into the sky, and he could see the dark shape of the cat who was talking to him, see the glint of green eyes. "Hi, Jaggedpaw. What's up?"_

"_Do you want to go hunting with Cloudheart and me?" she asked._

_He swallowed the last bit of mouse and got to his paws. "Sorry…I already promised Dovepaw. Maybe next time?"_

"_Maybe." But Falconpaw had already turned away, and he didn't see the gloomy droop of Jaggedpaw's tail, the misery in her eyes, and the irritation in her step as she searched for her mentor, rejected for the fifth time that moon for Falconpaw to hunt, or eat with, or practice fighting with Dovepaw._

Jaggedstar craned her neck and hissed into Falconstar's tawny ear. "Do you remember this move?" She spun quickly and tripped the lunging Falconstar. Then she leaped over him to bite down onto his sprawled-out leg at the bending point.

They both heard and felt the crack. Falconstar struggled to his paws, wincing in fresh pain as his paw dragged awkwardly behind him. He collapsed, and Jaggedstar pounced. She bit the tender space between his ears, blood spilling down his face.

Falconstar flailed, struggling to break free. But he had a useless paw now, and was definitely weakened.

"Do you remember this one?" he howled back to Jaggedstar. He turned onto his belly, bucked his good leg back, and threw her off. It lacked the drive and power it would have taken if his other leg wasn't broken, but she was tossed a fox-length or so away.

Jaggedstar shook her head free of the dust, but Falconstar lunged forward and clawed her face. She screamed as her nose split and blood splattered the dirt at her feet.

"_My Clan, these three apprentices have trained well in the warrior code and are now ready to become warriors themselves." Cloudstar gazed at his apprentice, Falconpaw, and Dovepaw. He sat up, the new leader of WindClan._

"_Falconpaw, you have been trained well by Reedtail. You shall now be known as Falconwing._

"_Dovepaw, you as well have had an excellent apprenticeship under Roseflower. You will now be called Doveflight."_

_Cloudstar finally turned his warm amber gaze onto his apprentice. "Jaggedpaw, you have been a wonderful apprentice. I am proud to have been called your mentor. From this moment, you are hereby known as Jaggedfeather. The three of you must sit silent vigil tonight in honour of the traditions set by the warrior code."_

"_Falconwing! Doveflight! Jaggedfeather!" the Clan shouted. The three cats sat by the edge of the camp opening, but Jaggedfeather jealously noticed that Falconwing and Doveflight sat close, and looked at each other with shining eyes._

Falconstar battered Jaggedstar's face with his paws, anger and betrayal openly shown in his face. "Why did you have Doveflight killed?"

"The warriors of NightClan do not ask permission in battle about who to kill and who not to," Jaggedstar smirked. She kicked Falconstar's stomach brutally, the glint in her eyes making it obvious that she had had something to do with the death of Doveflight despite her words.

"You liar. That's why you started this Clan, you turned your back onto the warrior traditions – because of your jealousy?" growled Falconstar. He reared back, about to deliver a crushing blow.

Jaggedstar lithely slipped out of place and pounced onto his back when he plummeted to the ground. She bit his scruff and kicked his back. Falconstar jumped, trying the trick that she had done earlier to shake him off. But Jaggedstar stepped lively, eventually rolling off and springing to her paws.

"You idiot. Doveflight wasn't the reason. It was only the start."

The cats circled each other, crouched, warily. Suddenly, Falconstar leapt out across the circle, just hate in his eyes. He accepted it; this was Jaggedstar.

The real Jaggedstar.

_Jaggedfeather couldn't sleep. If she turned one way, she was forced to look at Falconwing and Doveflight, curled up close to each other. If she turned the other, the harsh moonlight bit her eyes. Finally, she stood, and, careful not to awake any of the other warriors, stepped out of the den._

_The moon lit the open camp brightly. A summer breeze stirred the air and made the heather on the edge of the moor whisper. Crickets chirped, responding to the wind. The night song enveloped Jaggedfeather in a blanket of serenity. _

_A groan of pain sounded from the medicine cat's den. Jaggedfeather twitched her ears in sympathy. The deputy, Swiftriver, had been dangerously wounded in a battle against ThunderClan. RiverClan had arrived to help, but too late. ThunderClan had won the strip of moor opposite the river. By the sound of it, Swiftriver wasn't getting better._

"_Swiftriver?" the medicine cat, Heatherpelt, murmured in alarm. "Here, I'll mash up some more poultice of…"_

"_Stop it, Heatherpelt. All the herbs in the world won't save me now, and you and I both know it," croaked the old tom. "Come, there is something I must tell you."_

_Heart thumping with excitement and wonder, Jaggedfeather stealthily snuck closer to the den to hear. She knew that she shouldn't be here, but she couldn't help it._

"_I know that Cloudstar is thinking of appointing Falconwing as deputy. Heatherpelt, you must stop him. The right deputy for the Clan is Jaggedfeather."_

_Jaggedfeather's heart stopped._

"_I know that I am not the leader, and it is none of my business, but I believe this strongly. If Stormstar was still alive, it is what he would have wanted as well. You _must_ tell Cloudstar, Heatherpelt. Jaggedfeather is…"_

_But the tom broke into a fit of coughing, breathed heavily, and then…silence._

_There was stillness in the night, then, that was only broken by Jaggedfeather's breaths. Swiftriver wanted _her _to be the deputy? Why?_

_The ferns at the head of the medicine cat's den swished, and Jaggedfeather hurridly stepped closer to the warrior's den, but it was too late. Heatherpelt stepped out, her blue eyes drenched in grief and wonder._

_Heatherpelt dipped her head, and caught sight of Jaggedfeather. She opened her mouth to create an excuse for being there, but Heatherpelt just nodded, and continued to walk to Cloudstar's den._

Teeth connected in spine, and Jaggedstar screamed again. The sound only blended into the howls of battle around them.

Falconstar let his guard slip for just a moment to scan the immediate area around him, and what he saw was not good. WindClan was a strong Clan, but NightClan was…crushing them. Blood was splattering the dust covering the clearing, and dead cats littered the ground. There were just so many NightClan warriors, and so many ones of WindClan lying dead or wounded. WindClan was strong, but the fact was that there were not many.

They were outnumbered, and Falconstar was facing likely destruction of his Clan.

Jaggedstar saw his attention fall, and used it to her advantage. She bit his throat, and he staggered backwards after her following kick. Falconstar dropped, motionless.

Jaggedstar took her position for attack. She knew that he was not all dead, just loosing a life. But she also knew that since this one was lost, there was just one more life left that Falconstar had, a life that she planned to take when he awoke…

"_Cats of WindClan, I bring news of sorrow. Our deputy, Swiftriver, has died in the night." Cloudstar paused while wails of grief filled the air. " But as is custom, I must appoint a new deputy. I say these words before the body of Swiftriver, so that his spirit may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of WindClan shall be…"_

_Jaggedfeather tensed._

"…_Falconwing!"_

_The Clan mewed congratulations, crowding around Falconwing. The last thing Jaggedfeather glimpsed was him and Doveflight rubbing noses in an overly affectionate way. She scowled, and saw Heatherpelt staring up at Cloudstar in horror. She whipped her ginger head around to stare at Jaggedfeather._

"_Jaggedfeather… I swear, I told him!" Heatherpelt shook her head in shock and fear. "Please, please forgive me."_

"_It's alright, Heatherpelt." Jaggedfeather swallowed the lie, and stared sightlessly at the ground. Then she coldly raised her head to glare at Cloudstar, then at Swiftriver's tired body that was ready for vigil. She was rather sure that, despite her former mentor's words, his spirit would not approve. _

Falconstar stirred. He twitched his ears, and sat up. He blinked, and turned.

Jaggedstar swept a powerful paw at him, knocking him off his paws once more. His bad leg kicked out underneath him, and Falconstar rolled his eyes in pain. But he refused to shout out, and he lunged at Jaggedstar.

She lithely kicked him out once more across from her. They crouched, and he sprang. Jaggedstar bit his ear as he passed, ripping it. Falconstar turned, clawing once more at her face. She clawed back, feeling wounds that StarClan had freshly healed reopen, felt blood running down the back of her black paws.

Falconstar howled now, letting all his anger and hate out. He kicked her neck, and she dropped. The force wasn't hard enough to let her loose a life, though, and she reveled in the knowledge that she had all her lives and he only had one.

"You think that I feel anything?" Falconstar spat. He bit her back again, and she swept claws once more over his face. "All those years are gone, behind me now. You betrayed me! I hate you!"

Jaggedstar laughed bitterly. "All those years are behind me as well," she smirked, and bowled him over onto his back again, but with the strength fueled by anger, jealousy, and the exhilaration that revenge always accompanied.

"_You're leaving?"_

_Falconstar stared curiously at his old friend. Jaggedfeather lingered on the border separating WindClan from ThunderClan. _

"_I can't take it, Falconstar!" She pawed the ground in anger. "Why pick her to be your deputy? She's so empty headed. And why did you banish Heatherclaw? She did nothing against you!"_

"_What do you have against Doveflight, Jaggedfeather?" Falconstar's voice was cold. He was completely changed from the kit that Jaggedfeather had been so close to. "And Heatherpelt was speaking out against me. Do you think that I was going to allow her to stay, especially after she changed her name without my authority or permission?"_

"_You didn't have to banish her," Jaggedfeather spat._

"_Anyway, where will you go, if you leave?" Falconstar raised his chin with arrogance. His tone wasn't worried; it was challenging._

_Jaggedfeather climbed up a rock, and turned to glare with hatred at Falconstar. "I'll find Heatherclaw, maybe. Maybe I won't. But I can't stay here."_

_She began climbing up. "This is not the WindClan that I was born to."_

There was no mercy in either Jaggedstar's face. Falconstar looked up, almost pleadingly, but she was ice. She struck a killing blow to him, letting everything go.

Falconstar's eyes bulged, and then glazed over. He twitched momentarily, but his movements soon ceased, and he was still.

Jaggedstar sprang away without another look. She bounded through the battle in search of her deputy. She spotted Heatherclaw locked in a fight with a white WindClan cat. Jaggedstar killed the tom without a thought and turned to her ginger deputy. "I have killed Falconstar," she said. "Let's go."

She bounded off, and Heatherclaw raised her eyes to NightClan. "Retreat!"

The cats wiggled away from the warriors they had been fighting, slipped away across the clearing. They sprang across the moor, all running home on paws of victory.

For a moment, the WindClan cats were confused. Was this a battle won? But there were so many losses. A tabby she-cat with her head drooped in exhaustion turned away and saw her dead leader.

"Falconstar!" she shouted to her Clan. "Falconstar is _dead_!"

A mournful caterwaul arose among the beaten Clan. Doveflight, their deputy, had died as well. What would they do? Who would choose the next leader and deputy? They lowered their bruised heads and grieved, not only for their dead leader, but for all the many WindClan cats that joined the legions of StarClan that night.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Willowkit pounced on the ball of moss. Her creamy white tail beat the ground and her green eyes glittered with a kittish excitement, as if she was still merely a moon old. But she had lived in the NightClan nursery for five now.

Her brother, Badgerkit, twitched his black ears in amusement. He was all black, save for a white stripe from his nose, along his back, to the end of his tail. He blinked his narrow amber eyes and yawned. "Planning to impress Jaggedstar with those moves?"

"I would do _anything _to impress Jaggedstar!" Willowkit's eyes shone. "Do you know what a great leader she is?"

"Um, I should, being in her Clan." Badgerkit laid his head on his paws and closed his eyes.

"I can't wait for news about the Gathering." Willowkit turned to face the opening of the nursery, where a few glints of moonlight barely shone through the brambles. "It's the first since NightClan was formed about nine moons ago; I heard Heatherclaw tell Bluecloud that she was surprised that even Jaggedstar could keep us a secret for so long. I personally think that it was great to surprise WindClan like that a few weeks ago. I wish I was there!"

"You would have been killed." Badgerkit laid his head back down, but twitched his ear. "Did you hear that?"

"What?" Willowkit dropped the ball of moss and scampered to the nursery's opening, careful not to wake their mother Ravenpool. She saw the ferns at the mouth of the camp rustle, and then saw Heatherclaw step into the clearing, a mewling silver kitten dangling from her mouth.

"Badgerkit, see this!" she meowed, whipping her head around to her brother.

"Are they back?" Badgerkit asked with a bored tone in his voice. Still, he rose and followed her to the entrance. They watched Heatherclaw glance warily around the camp before stepping out across the clean dirt scattered across the incredibly wide hollow.

"Hi, Heatherclaw!" Willowkit mewed, stepping out into the moonlight and bouncing across to the startled ginger deputy before Badgerkit could stop her. "Where did you find that kit? Is it hurt?"

"W-Willowkit, what are you doing out of the nursery?" Heatherclaw stammered, before quickly adding, "You should be asleep. Badgerkit, come out of hiding. I see you."

Badgerkit tried to act dignified as he raised his tail and padded across to Heatherclaw and Willowkit. But his curiosity got the best of him, and he peered at the squealing silver kit with wondering eyes.

"Where did you get her?" asked Willowkit. She sniffed the kit and recoiled, her nose scrunched up. "Yuck! Smells like ThunderClan!"

Heatherclaw froze. "I…I found it abandoned on the border closer to us. It must have straggled here and picked up some of their scent."

Badgerkit and Willowkit nodded. They didn't notice Jaggedstar lingering on the edge of the camp with the Clan members that she had taken to the Gathering with.

"Ah, Jaggedstar," Heatherclaw suddenly said, awkwardly pawing the ground. She had spotted her leader. The silver kit mewed pitifully. The NightClan members looked on with slightly confused faces, but Willowkit saw that they were exhausted. It must have been a challenging first Gathering for NightClan.

"Kits." There was frost in Jaggedstar's voice. "You are to return to the nursery immediately. Heatherclaw, I want to speak with you alone. Now!"

The leader flicked her black tail and marched off to her den, expecting her orders to be followed. They were; the Clan wearily made their way to their nests, Heatherclaw followed with her ears pressed back against her skull and the mewing kit in her mouth, and Badgerkit and Willowkit slunk off sheepishly to the nursery.

"And you most _definitely _impressed our 'great leader' there," sniggered Badgerkit as he snuggled into his nest.

Willowkit rolled her eyes and turned with excitement to Applekit, their ginger-brown tortoiseshell sister. Applekit had always had an interesting ability to fluff out her fur to the extent that she appeared older, so Jaggedstar had invited the lucky kit to appear at the Gathering as "Applepaw" to demonstrate NightClan's strength.

"So?" she asked, drumming the ground with her tail. "How was the Gathering?"

Applekit rolled her blue eyes. "They're really not that great."

"Tell meeee," Willowkit begged. Her tail beat the ground with a fury so hard that it hit Badgerkit's nest and sent scraps of moss flying in the nursery. It didn't awaken the two queens, Ravenpool and Dawnheart, or Twitchkit, Dawnheart's kit, but it did make Badgerkit open his eyes in irritation. "Do you mind? Some of us are trying to sleep here."

"Be quiet. Applekit is going to tell me about the Gathering."

"No, I'm not." Applekit closed her eyes.

"Please?" Willowkit pleaded. She hit her tail against the dirt again with such force that it smacked Badgerkit across the face.

Badgerkit opened his eyes with utter impatience. "Just tell her, Applekit. Then, the rest of us can get some decent sleep around here."

"Fine," Applekit sighed, her eyes betraying her excitement. "I'll tell you everything that happened at the Gathering."

"Good," Willowkit said happily, and she settled into her nest to listen.

I followed Jaggedstar through our narrow strip of territory before the WindClan-ThunderClan border with the other two apprentices, but when we got to the border, we had to step carefully and with clumps of warriors to appear larger, you know. I was nervous about traveling without making the other Clans angry, but Jaggedstar assured us that all cats are free to walk within two fox-lengths of the lake.

We made our way to the island without being seen by any other Clan, but we saw – and mostly smelled – ShadowClan.

"What do you mean, smelled?" asked Willowkit,

They reek. Like…like Badgerkit on a bad morning after he had an old vole.

"That's sibling love for you," grumbled Badgerkit.

Anyway, asides from a glimpse of ShadowClan, we made it to the island safely. The island is so huge! It's the size of at least four of our camps, and coated with grass that's so thick and green. There are so many trees, and there's one that fell to make a sort of bridge so that we can cross over. Sunpaw and Dustpaw and I were speechless. The island is just amazing! Well, you'll understand when you go.

We were the first Clan there, but Jaggedstar wanted to look us over. "Don't remember to fluff your fur out, Applekit," she told me. "Bigger…bigger…yes, perfect. Keep it just like that."

Yes, Jaggedstar, I said, and she moved on to inspect Sunpaw.

We hid in the bushes and watched the other Clans arrive. Jaggedstar pointed them out to us. RiverClan are the sleek ones that have shorter fur. They smell like the lake; not half-bad. ShadowClan. Well, they are just repulsive. They have choppy fur and sunken eyes and smell even worse closer. Like if Badgerkit breathed close to you on a bad morning after eating an old vole.

"Hey!" Badgerkit protested.

ThunderClan, they aren't as bad as ShadowClan, but they smell too sweet and dry. They look muscular, but twitch a bit much. And WindClan, well, Jaggedstar really hates them. They smell like the wind, but a bit muddy. They're small and fast.

The four leaders jumped onto a tree with low branches. Jaggedstar pointed out who they are to us. Frogstar is the ShadowClan leader; he has brown and grey tortoiseshell fur and really small green eyes. ThunderClan is led by a she-cat, the only other one besides Jaggedstar. Her name is Flamestar, and she's a dark ginger with even darker amber eyes. I don't trust her, she has a shifty look about her. RiverClan's leader is a big white tom with sort of cloudy blue eyes, called Mudstar. Jaggedstar was really curious about WindClan's leader, you could tell, she sort of strained in the bushes to see. WindClan's new leader is a silvery tom with a slick voice and eyes that are almost yellow. By the way, his name is Yellowstar.

All the Clans sort of milled around at the beginning, said hello, and the like. The deputies gathered close to the tree, but not at the foot. The medicine cats sat there, with their apprentices. Then Mudstar banged his tail against the side of the tree, like what you were doing, Willowkit, and everyone fell silent.

"Hah!" Willowkit boasted, smacking her tail again.

Will you stop so I can finish telling you what happened?

"Yes, Applekit," Willowkit muttered. Badgerkit snickered.

It's so amazing. One by one, the leaders stepped out and shared the news about their Clans. You know, births, deaths, new apprentices and warriors…and then, when Frogstar had finished, Flamestar looked around. "Mudstar, Yellowstar, do you have anything else to share?" she asked. They shook their heads. "Then I suppose that it is time for the Clans to leave."

"Why leave?" Jaggedstar called, marching out into the clearing with her tail raised proudly. "We haven't shared _our _news yet."

Heatherclaw cleared her throat and we all stepped out, fanning out behind her and Jaggedstar. I felt proud at first, but when the four Clans turned to look at us with a mix of curiosity and hostility, I felt like turning around and fleeing back to camp.

"Who are you?" hissed Mudstar. Frogstar and Flamestar crouched near, suspicion in their eyes. Yellowstar, though, bounded off the tree and over to Jaggedstar.

"Jaggedfeather?" he mewed, rubbing noses with his old denmate. "We…we all thought you were dead!"

"Not dead, nor Jaggedfeather," Jaggedstar replied, her voice kind but firm. "I am very much alive, and Jaggedstar of NightClan."

Yellowstar staggered backwards, and the other cats gasped. Eyes flashed at us that were full of shock and fear. One cat screeched, "This is against the will of StarClan!"

Jaggedstar raised her voice. "If it is against the will of StarClan, why was I granted the nine lives of a leader?"

Murmurs of concern scattered through the crowd. Jaggedstar plunged down into the hollow. Heatherclaw motioned with her tail for the rest of us to follow, thrill etched into every hair of fur on her face. We did, but I wasn't filled with thrill so much as fear.

Jaggedstar left us in the middle of the clearing to jump onto the tree with the four other leaders. I could feel all the eyes gazing at us and stared at the ground, at the sky, or at the tree where the leaders stood, anywhere but the surrounding Clans. Flamestar hissed, Mudstar growled and laid his ears flat, and Frogstar's fur rippled with unease when Jaggedstar leaped up to the branches. Yellowstar, however, waved his tail for silence. "Let Jaggedstar tell her story," he shouted to the wary cats below.

Jaggedstar paused for dramatic effect before beginning. "Cats of Wind, River, Shadow, and ThunderClan," she cried. At her first word, the crowd was silenced, and she lowered her voice. "Many WindClan cats may remember me as Jaggedfeather. And there are more WindClan cats among NightClan who opposed the policies of Falconstar." She beckoned with her tail, and Heatherclaw, Tigerstripe, and Stormclaw stepped forward.

Shouts rang out from WindClan as they recognized their old denmates. A calico she-cat ran up to Heatherclaw. "Heatherpelt!" she exclaimed. "My old mentor!"

Heatherclaw looked at her coldly. "I am Heatherclaw, Mosspaw, and the deputy of NightClan." She flicked her tail, letting the other cat know that she was dismissing her former life as the WindClan medicine cat.

She gave her a hurt and angry look. "_Heatherpelt_, _my_ name is Mosseye. I'm the medicine cat now that you left."

"Why_ did_ Jaggedstar make her the deputy and not the medicine cat again?" Willowkit wondered.

I don't know. Now, stop interrupting or I won't tell the story!

Anyway, Mosseye, looked really angry and betrayed. She spat and stalked back to her place with the other medicine cats.

Yellowstar hissed, and I shivered. His voice wasn't friendly anymore. "You stole three able warriors from our camp!"

"Actually, I left to follow Heatherclaw. When I found her, we decided to make our own Clan, seeing as no others would accept us and we felt our home Clan wasn't the same anymore. We established a camp up, beyond the expanses of WindClan and ThunderClan territory. Our scent markers are there too, marking our territory."

"My warriors had reported that they picked up a strange scent," said Flamestar, narrowing her eyes.

"When we had built the dens, we went out to warriors on patrols and asked if they were willing to join NightClan. As you see, Tigerstripe and Stormclaw agreed…and so did a few cats from ThunderClan."

Now Bluecloud, Streamfur, and Redfeather stepped forward. Jaggedstar watched Flamestar's growing horror with an almost pleased expression.

"Ravenpool also joined us, but she is currently nursing kits and so stayed in the camp," Jaggedstar added smoothly. She hurriedly went on before Flamestar could interject, and I felt a bit of a thrill at hearing Mother's name.

"So, there we were, with seven Clan cats besides us, when Streamfur had the idea to find rouges and kittypets and recruit. I will cut to the end; when we were barely three weeks into NightClan, we had…Heatherclaw, what were the numbers?"

"Ten warriors, four apprentices, two queens, a medicine cat, and four nursing kits. In fact, Applekit just became Applepaw." Heatherclaw counted.

A gasp sounded from the crowd. I felt a little proud, even though it was just a lie that I was an apprentice. Frogstar swallowed. "Twenty-one cats," he said hoarsely.

"Actually, count in Heatherclaw and me." Jaggedstar examined her sleek, groomed tail while Mudstar took a deep breath.

"Twenty-three cats?" he snarled. "How do you expect to feed all those?"

"In Firestar's time, Clans were much bigger than that, and they had these same territories," replied Jaggedstar.

"Yes, but Firestar's time was so many seasons ago." Yellowstar argued. "The oldest cat in the Clans, our elder No-Sight, was born a moon after his death."

"NightClan's territory is large enough to feed us. We made it vast without cutting into any other Clan's territories," Jaggedstar responded.

It was the wrong thing to say. Cats leapt to their paws and howled, "Unfair!" "Against StarClan!" "We had no say!"

After that, it was very tedious. The leaders bickered back and forth, until finally Jaggedstar raised her tail for silence again. "I can see that you all need to reflect on this. We will meet at the next Gathering to discuss again." She jumped from the tree and led us from the hollow. Sunpaw and I were resisting giggles, but we exploded laughing after crossing the tree-bridge at all the cat's dumbfounded expressions.

"I'm really tired. I want to sleep." Applekit laid her chin onto her paws and closed her eyes. Soon she was asleep, her breath stirring the stray pieces of moss that littered the ground.

Willowkit stayed awake, her ears pricked as she stared into the night. The Gathering had sounded fun, but it didn't explain what Heatherclaw had been doing with the kit. She struggled to think of something, but it was a blank. Her unusually big green eyes were very strange; it was as if she could see into the heart of the sky and see flashes of _things_ that would eventually happen. It was an odd gift, but a secret gift nonetheless and she kept it that way. Scanning the sky peeking through the gap in the nursery roof, Willowkit looked for something, but no images came.

Finally, as the last of the moon's rays echoed over the land, Willowkit's eyes drooped, and she slept.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Wake up, you sleepyhead!"

Badgerkit blearily opened his eyes to see Willowkit pouncing on top of him, her green eyes sparkling with mischief and perkiness. He groaned and covered his head with his paws. "Honestly, Willowkit, do you always have to be so energetic in the morning?" he mumbled into the soft, feather-like moss.

"Do you always have to be as prickly as a hedgehog?" Willowkit prodded Badgerkit with one cream paw. "Maybe you should change your name to Hedgehogkit. But, then again, you _do_ sleep as much as a badger or a fox. And Applekit looks more like a fox. So I suppose Badgerkit fits."

"Stop rambling," grumbled Badgerkit, closing his eyes. For Willowkit, every day was an adventure, while he just wanted to sleep in the morning. _Without _his pesky sister waking him up before even the dawn patrol set out. "You should be Parrotkit."

"Nope, I'm not colourful enough," Willowkit mewed brightly. "That should be Twitchkit's name." She pointed with her tail at the sleeping calico tom with orange, brown, black, white, and greenish fur. "I don't know why he's called Twitchkit. I guess he does twitch a lot, but that was when he was younger. There are worse names, though. Like Mumblekit! So I like Willowkit. Well, I like that name anyway. Do you like your name? If you didn't what else would you like to be called, huh, Badgerkit?"

"Applekit, make her stop so I can sleep," Badgerkit begged.

Applekit opened her eyes slowly and sleepily. "I would, but now _I_ can't sleep!" She rolled over in her nest. "You two are going to wake Mother or Dawnheart."

Willowkit bounded over and leaped on top of Applekit. Applekit's eyes widened and her jaws parted in a silent yowl as her cream-coloured sister knocked the air out of her. "Wake up, you other sleepyhead!" Her unusually big green eyes were sparkling with morning energy. "I'm hungry."

"Then get something to eat!" snapped Badgerkit. He twitched his ears. It was as if he could hear the thoughts racing through Willowkit's brain. _Foodhungergottaeatyumooh whyaretheysuchsleepyheadsaahhhenergyhyperhungryfood…_

He shook his head and closed his eyes, settling his chin once more on his paws. It was very weird, his hearing. Even when he was a newborn kit, only a few days old, he could always hear what everyone around him was thinking. Not everything, but immediate thoughts and bright pictures came to him. He hadn't told anyone, but it made him feel special.

"Look, okay, I'm getting up. Alright?" Applekit sighed and sat up in her nest, shaking scraps of dried moss from her pelt. _Goodness, she could wait a while. Dawn patrol isn't even back yet; there will be no food and I'm _so _tired…_

Badgerkit heard her and echoed her thoughts. "There won't be any fresh-kill, though. The dawn patrol hasn't returned yet."

Applekit gave him an odd look, but she simply licked her paw and drew it over her face, cleaning it. _I swear he knows what we think, sometimes. _Badgerkit turned his head to the side to hide a purr of amusement. He swished his tail and wished for the dawn patrol to come back with food to shut Willowkit's mouth.

As if StarClan had heard his plea, the light pounding of paws at the camp entrance vibrated in the nursery. Willowkit's tail shot straight up. "Dawn patrol! Food!" she squealed. Leaping to her paws, she pounded out of the nursery with Applekit right behind her. Looking once around at the two sleeping queens and the kit, Badgerkit rose to his paws, shook himself lightly, and padded dignifiedly out of the nursery.

The sky was pearly grey, with faint streaks of blue hovering on the horizon. Near the Rock Pile, where Jaggedstar made her nest, was a small heap of fresh-kill. Willowkit was eagerly greeting the dawn patrol as Applekit half-heartedly sniffed a pigeon on the pile. Badgerkit trotted across the clearing to join them.

"Hello, Badgerkit," mewed Mintfur. The grey and white tabby's dark green eyes sparkled at the kits. "You three are up early." Mintfur's brown sister, Sagetail, blinked her eyes at them in agreement; one green and one amber.

"We're hungry," Willowkit explained.

The other two cats on patrol, Whiteheart and his apprentice Silverpaw, purred deep in their throats in laughter. Badgerkit's ears burned in embarrassment. Would Willowkit ever grow up and stop acting like a newborn kit?

"Well, help yourself." Sagetail picked a thrush from the stack and carried it over to a blackberry bush, settling herself below its thorny branches.

The other cats were starting to arise. Sunpaw was stepping out of the juniper bush that was the apprentices' den, her amber eyes bleary with sleep. She shook her creamy golden pelt and yawned. Badgerkit subconsciously listened to her thoughts. _Ugh, another morning. I hope that we do battle training today; I'm so tired of hunting. Is that all apprentices do? I wonder what they do in other Clans. _She shook her head and began to meander towards the fresh-kill pile.

"Hi, Sunpaw," mewed Badgerkit.

"Oh, hi, Badgerkit." Sunpaw carefully surveyed the fresh-kill heap. "There isn't much…how about sharing a vole?"

"Sure!" Badgerkit agreed. They carried it over to Applekit and Willowkit, who were sharing the pigeon by the fallen ash tree that would become the elder's den when there were any elders.

"I can't wait to be apprenticed," meowed Willowkit excitedly. "Sunpaw, how long ago did you become one?"

"About two moons ago."

"It seems like twenty moons since you left the nursery!" Willowkit ignored the fresh-kill at her paws that she had been so anxious to get. Applekit laid her chin onto her paws and pricked her ginger ears forward. Badgerkit took a bite of the vole and shivered as it slid into his empty stomach.

"I agree, but being an apprentice is so much fun! I like fighting best. I want to be a great warrior one day." Sunpaw tossed her head and growled in fun.

Badgerkit twitched his tail. "I want to be the next medicine cat."

He could feel all three of their stares on his black-and-white fur as he took another nibble of the vole. He casually chewed, as if he had said nothing.

"What?" asked Applekit, disbelief colouring her tone.

"You never said anything!" Willowkit shrieked. The cats in the clearing looked up before continuing with their activities.

"Have you told Berrywhisker?" Sunpaw inquired, dipping her head. When Badgerkit looked at her, her eyes were full of simple, friendly curiosity. However, her thoughts told a different story. _Medicine cat? Badgerkit? But then, if…_ her thoughts immediately ceased, as if she decided to not even think about that train of thought. _I wonder what Silverpaw would say._

"Silverpaw?" asked Badgerkit. He couldn't help himself; the name slipped out.

Sunpaw dropped the bite of meat in her mouth. Her amber eyes stared into his. _Did he just say that?_

"Err, never mind." Badgerkit averted his gaze and licked his whiskers. He rose to his paws and looked at his littermates and Sunpaw. "I think I'll tell Berrywhisker now. Does anyone care to come with me?"

Willowkit had been gazing at the sky. Suddenly, she inhaled sharply.

"Willowkit?" asked Applekit in concern.

"It's just…I saw…" Willowkit shook her head, for once at a loss for words. "Forget it."

Badgerkit gently drifted into her thoughts. To his surprise, they weren't hyper and incoherent. _Did I really just see something in the _daytime_? But they only come at night. Oh my goodness, maybe I should tell cats about this, but…_

He frowned. What did she mean? What happened? Did Willowkit also have a strange gift? But he couldn't just ask her. And there, her thought was gone.

"Anyway, I'm going to Berrywhisker." He took a few steps and looked at them over his shoulder.

"I'll come with you," said Applekit. She instinctively fluffed out her fur and stepped forward. _Medicine cat? Badgerkit? Well, I suppose he _could_, but what does Berrywhisker think?_

That was exactly what he was wondering himself.

"Me, too," Willowkit mewed. She turned to Sunpaw. "Coming?"

Sunpaw shook her head. "No, thank you. Streamfur will be awake soon, and then I'll have to train."

"Well, goodbye, and have a nice day," Applekit said. The three kits turned and started to walk across the clearing.

The medicine cat den was also an ash tree, but upright and healthy. It was hollow and large, with a small opening at its base. There, cats could enter and exit, and Berrywhisker stored her herbs and berries in knotholes inside the tree. Just outside was a small semicircle of stones where ill cats could lie isolated and sheltered under the ash tree's wide leaves. There seemed to be a stillness in the air.

"Maybe she isn't awake," whispered Applekit.

"Now? Look, even Twitchkit is up and waddling around the fresh-kill pile like a duck. Maybe he should be called Duckkit - "

Badgerkit clapped his tail over Willowkit's mouth before she could continue rambling. "Hush. Now." He nervously poked his head into the entrance. "Um, Berrywhisker? Hello?"

"Good morning, Badgerkit. Applekit, Willowkit." The white and black she-cat twitched her whiskers at them in greeting. She pushed a pile of herbs against the bark before turning and nodding to them. "What can I do for you?"

"Badgerkit wants to be the next medicine cat," blurted Willowkit, before slapping her own creamy table over her mouth.

Badgerkit lowered his head, although he could still feel Berrywhisker's intense blue stare. "Yes. I was hoping…yes."

"And why, may I ask, do you care to be a medicine cat apprentice?" Berrywhisker licked her paw and swiped it over her ear, never averting her gaze. "It takes a special cat to be able to heal their Clan, or to be able to interpret the signs StarClan sends us."

"Um, well…" Badgerkit flicked his tail nervously. Then he looked up. "I can hear things. Not just what other cats say, or the wind blowing through the trees. I mean, what they think. What they think in their hearts at the time I listen. I can hear them."

Berrywhisker was motionless, her demeanor calm, but her thoughts were a blur of astonishment. _What? Is this power…what does it mean? How long has he had this gift? This is a gift, a gift from StarClan. I'm sure, positive, that this is a gift. But what does this mean for NightClan? Should I tell Jaggedstar? What will she think?_

"I don't know what this means, and ever since I was born I could hear these thoughts, but I didn't really begin to understand until a few moons ago. I still don't really. And I know this is from StarClan, but I don't know much else." Badgerkit couldn't stop the flow of words from his mouth. It was a sort of a relief, in a way, to be able to respond to the thoughts he heard.

Willowkit gasped. _So I am not…_her thought broke off abruptly, as Sunpaw's had a while ago. _He can hear me…okay, I'll try an experiment. Badgerkit, if you can hear me, say "brambles."_

"Brambles," meowed Badgerkit, staring exactly at his sister. Willowkit's eyes widened, but before she could say anything, Applekit stepped forward.

"But, is that all? Berrywhisker, is that enough to become a medicine cat?"

Berrywhisker frowned. "Applekit…that's very advanced thinking," _For a kit_, Badgerkit heard her add. "And you are correct. Badgerkit, is that the full reason why you choose to be a medicine cat?"

"The herbs. I want to be able to know which one, to know how they work." Badgerkit meowed, nervously twitching his tail. "To be that important to NightClan." He looked anxiously at Berrywhisker. What would she say?

"Well, Badgerkit," Berrywhisker carefully mewed. "I would be honored to be your mentor. And you certainly seem to possess qualities that a medicine cat needs. I will talk to Jaggedstar as soon as I can, and get word to you."

"Thank you, Berrywhisker. Thank you so much." Badgerkit fidgeted, restless to get back to the nursery and tell Twitchkit and his mother. Ravenpool would be so proud.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Applekit licked her paw and nodded politely to Berrywhisker as they stepped out of the ash tree. "Congratulations, Badgerkit."

"Yeah, congratulations," echoed Willowkit.

Badgerkit shook his head, suddenly looking nervous. "No, we don't know for sure until Berrywhisker clears it with Jaggedstar. What if she doesn't think I'm worthy of being medicine cat?"

"Bah," Willowkit mewed. "Just listen to her thoughts and persuade her."

Badgerkit looked irritated. "I can't respond to thoughts, mouse brain. I can only listen."

"Well, excuse me. But seeing as none of us knew about this until oh, I don't know, a minute ago, how was I supposed to know that?"

Applekit meandered away from her squabbling littermates. "I can't wait until we become apprenticed and then we'll be too busy to argue!" She sighed. "Oh well; I suppose I should be used to them by now." She twitched her ginger-red ears and trotted to the apprentice den. She liked talking to them almost as much as to her brother and sister, and more than to Twitchkit. He usually made little to no sense, whereas she could have a somehow intelligent conversation with the apprentices, especially Sunpaw. They had been friends ever since they were both kits, but since Sunpaw was apprenticed, they didn't get to see each other as much.

Poking her head inside, Applekit mewed, "Sunpaw?"

The juniper's branches shaded the den, which was patches of moss beneath the bush. It was dimly lit, and Applekit had to squint to see if her friend was inside. However, she didn't see the golden she-cat at all. What she did see made her fur bristle in irritation and disappointment.

"Oh, hello, Apple_kit_," meowed Thornpaw. The arrogant black and white tom was sitting up in his nest and washing himself. "Sunpaw isn't in here, as I suppose a cat with anything between her ears would guess."

Applekit curled her lip. Thornpaw was as prickly as his name. It was sometimes hard to believe that he and Sunpaw were littermates. The tom had gotten his apprentice name only a moon ago, but he never got tired of reminding Willowkit, Badgerkit, and especially Applekit about that. "Good to know," replied Applekit, trying to remain civil. "Thank you."

She began to wiggle out of the den, as Thornpaw snorted in disgust. "Don't you want to know where she is, then?"

Applekit eyed him in wary curiosity. "No, I was just wondering."

"Wondering what?" asked Thornpaw.

"If she and I could just talk or something."

"Hah!" Thornpaw snorted again. "If you weren't just a _kit_, you'd know that we apprentices are too busy to talk idly."

"Really?" Applekit mewed tartly. "Then why are you lazing around in the den?"

Thornpaw narrowed his dark yellow eyes and leaped to his paws, pushing her out of his way as he shoved out of the apprentice's den.

Sighing, Applekit turned around and stepped back into the sunbathed camp. She knew that talking back to Thornpaw wasn't necessarily polite, but he really deserved it sometimes. It must be the greenleaf heat making him more prickly than usual. Even her mild-mannered mother was getting a bit cranky!

"But it's good to leave the cold leaf-bare behind," Applekit murmured to herself. She shivered, remembering it.

"Hey, Applekit!"

She turned to see another apprentice bounding towards her, away from the fresh-kill pile. The silver tortoiseshell she-cat was as much her friend as Sunpaw, but not quite as close. "Hi, Silverpaw. How's the prey running?"

"Towards the river!" mewed the apprentice. Applekit tilted her head in curiosity. "Look, on such a hot day, what's the point of hunting out in the forest? All the fish will be swimming in the cool water, so we should hunt there."

Applekit ruefully shook her head. "Sounds like a terrific plan, Silverpaw. But I'm just a kit. I'm not allowed to hunt."

"Says who?"

Both cats were startled at the voice. They hesitantly turned to see Jaggedstar and Heatherclaw sharing a chaffinch and listening to their conversation with pricked ears. "Go ahead, Applekit."

"But-but, Mother says that in the Clans, kits aren't allowed out of the camp," Applekit stammered.

Jaggedstar brushed it aside with a flick of her tail. "In ThunderClan, maybe. But I plan to have NightClan be…revolutionary. You have my permission, both of you. In fact," Jaggedstar added, with a sideways glance at Heatherclaw. "Do well, and you and your littermates will be apprenticed tomorrow at sunhigh."

Applekit's heart beat in her throat. "Thank you, thank you, Jaggedstar!" she squeaked. "Can I go tell Willowkit and Badgerkit?"

"No, I'd rather tell Ravenpool and have her let the three of you officially know. I have some news for her myself," said Jaggedstar with another sideways look at Heatherclaw. "Applekit, do you recall the kit that Heatherclaw had last night?"

"Vaguely," Applekit said. She remembered hovering at the camp entrance and seeing Willowkit and Badgerkit being sent back to the nursery after seeing the silver kit, almost the same pelt shade as her friend Silverpaw.

"Well, Heatherclaw found the kit at the border," Jaggedstar replied, looking once more at her deputy. "And, we have decided that your mother, Ravenpool, will nurse it. He shall be known as Stonekit, and so I would like to tell her. If your siblings are in the nursery, I shall tell them personally."

Then she flicked her long black tail at the two she-cats, dismissing them.

Silverpaw bounded across the camp to the fern-guarded entrance. "Wow, Applekit. I wonder who your mentor will be!"

Applekit shrugged, although her own fur prickled at the thought. An apprentice! "I don't know. How did you feel when Whiteheart became yours?"

The tortoiseshell was silent for a moment, and they hesitated. The ferns swished in the wind, the breeze doing little to relieve the greenleaf warmth. "Nervous, of course. I'd heard about Whiteheart's old reputation as a tough and harsh rogue. But, he's really very nice. I think his name fits him; a rough exterior, but a pure white heart. I was very anxious to prove myself as one of the four first apprentices of NightClan."

"I want a good mentor myself. One that will help me become the best warrior I can be," Applekit mewed solemnly. Her hidden ambition to be Clan leader one day would remain as hidden as she could keep it. Now that she learned that Badgerkit could hear her thoughts, she would have to be even more careful. "To support my Clan throughout everything."

"By the way, are we going to go now?" Silverpaw fidgeted in the heat and stared into the lush green forest outside the camp's edges. The tortoiseshell's silvery blue eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Oh, yes!" Applekit bounded through the ferns, amazed at the forest outside the camp. Dry brown clumps of grass grew in heather-like bunches, and lush berry brambles sprouted around large oak trees. To her left was the distinct sound of water running, and she twisted her head to see part of the stream trickling through the thorny wall protecting the camp, where it gathered in a pool. Everything looked so different in the daylight, a stark contrast to the moonlit, white branches of the night before. Applekit lifted her ginger head and inhaled deeply. Rabbit, mouse, thrush, squirrel…the scents of prey flooded her nose.

"This way to the river," Silverpaw mewed, pointing with her tail to the left, where the sound of water splashing echoed in the trees.

Applekit trotted behind the apprentice, trying to keep up but distracted by the life the forest offered. "Where does the water come from? Where does it go?" she asked.

"Jaggedstar says that it extends from the lake, and that there's a bigger pool somewhere along the way. She says that all the cats of StarClan are reflected in its water. She says that the other Clans call it the Moonpool."

They walked in silence for a while, Applekit's thoughts full of the images all around her. As they continued, the volume of rushing water grew steadily louder. Soon, they skirted a pine tree, and there it was. The rushing river, thundering throughout the trees wound its way in the NightClan territory. Applekit walked closer, until it was only a mouse-length in front of her paws. She hesitantly dipped her tail into the current and jumped back in surprise. The water was cold!

Silverpaw let out a meow of happiness as she hurtled right into the stream. Her fur dripping, she turned back to the bank and shouted to her friend. "Come on, Applekit! It feels so nice in this heat!"

Holding her breath, Applekit tentatively waded in before ducking underwater. She gasped, feeling her paws touch the sandy, pebbly bottom. "It's shallow!"

Purring in amusement, Silverpaw sat up and shook her wet fur. "Isn't it good?" The apprentice twitched her whiskers in thought and looked at the water around her. "Only thing is, now we've scared all the fish away."

Applekit peered into the river and noticed that Silverpaw was right. "Should we go upstream and fish? Jaggedstar said that if I got a lot…"

Silverpaw rolled onto her back and splashed noisily into the bank. "Ouch! Well, not right now. There's no hurry."

Hesitating, Applekit waited a moment and then nodded. "You're right. I will be a warrior someday," _and leader as well_, "but it will come sometime."

"Yes," Silverpaw agreed. But when Applekit looked at her, there was sadness in her friend's eyes."

"Are you alright, Silverpaw?" asked Applekit.

The apprentice was silent for a moment. "Can I trust you?"

"Of course," mewed Applekit.

"This is a secret, so you can't tell anyone," Silverpaw warned. Applekit nodded, letting her continue. "Well, when I was a kit, I used to watch Berrywhisker a lot. As she healed cats, watched the skies for signs of StarClan. I wanted to be like her, I wanted to be the next NightClan medicine cat."

Silverpaw paused.

"I went to Jaggedstar. I asked her if I could become the next medicine cat, become Berrywhisker's apprentice. And she…she laughed. I awkwardly stood there and waited nervously.

"'You? The…_you_?' and she laughed again, her whole body shaking. Then she stopped and glared at me. 'That is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. Now get out of my den.' I left, tail drooping."

Silverpaw closed her eyes. "When I became an apprentice, I was so angry that I wasn't made Berrywhisker's. But now…I'm still upset, sometimes, but this is what I am. I have to train to be a warrior, so I will do better than the best I can."

Applekit purred in sympathy and touched her tail to her friend's shoulder. But her thoughts were different. _Good decision. I can't imagine Silverpaw as the medicine cat. Still, when I become the leader, I will be kinder than Jaggedstar. But I will not be ruled and cajoled by stupid apprentices._

_When I become Applestar, I will be feared by all the Clans._


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Burrowing into her mossy nest, Willowkit closed her eyes, but a moment later they popped back open. "I can't believe we're going to be apprenticed soon," she whispered. While the waning moon glittered above the nursery, Ravenpool, Applekit, Badgerkit, and the moon-old Stonekit slept soundly. Willowkit blinked, rolled over, and let her eyelids droop once more. Breathing calmly, she tried to count stars, but she was too excited to sleep. Finally, she closed her eyes.

She was crouched in the middle of a large, stone structure. Monsters whizzed past, their speed flattening her fur. In the distance, she could see lights hanging from hard black trees. The stone arches went over, under, and besides each other. Willowkit winced, thinking of her mother's tales of the Thunderpath and the monsters that rode it. This seemed to be a large one, with only dust and sparse rocks blowing by in the monsters' wake. There were no trees or signs of forest light.

Suddenly, the scene seemed to dim, right around her. The roar of the monsters died down, getting quieter and quieter. The harsh lights blurred softly into the distance, blending into the stars. Trees took place of the giant Thunderpath. A brook trickled nearby. Willowkit was no longer trapped between walls of stone, but free in a green clearing.

Puzzled, she glanced at the sky. That was a mistake. The images that sometimes blurred at her, like the one she saw that morning of an older Badgerkit with kits of his own, now flashed across the stars. She saw a battle, of Jaggedstar attacking a larger, golden tom. She saw a younger Heatherclaw walking up a row of rocks, determination on her face and the lake behind her. Even further; a black kit and a gold kit, play-fighting in a nursery. One after the other, the pictures ran.

Then, the process sped up. More shots, of nameless cats skulking in the shadows into the NightClan camp. Bushes being hollowed underneath, and there! The nursery, the last reed poked into place by a younger Bluecloud. Flashes of Ravenpool's flanks heaving, Silverpaw as a kit creeping tentatively into Jaggedstar's den. Willowkit saw herself, her brother and sister, waiting below the Rock Pile as their leader perched above.

And then the visions were no longer recognizable. A thousand battles, the sounds of screeching cats filling Willowkit's ears. The acrid smell of blood wafted around her, as she saw cats dead and dying. Amid the wars, there were glimpses of peace. She saw Badgerkit again, as an older warrior, with Sunpaw besides him as they proudly watched two kits play-fight in the nursery. _Badgerstripe, Sunray. _The names came to mind just as the image melted back into battle, the same image that she had seen that morning.

Horrified by these strange scenes, Willowkit shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut, as the stars coldly glittered above. Suddenly, the noises were cut off abruptly. Willowkit dared to open her eyes for a squint, then they flew open.

She was crouched below a large rock, large enough for at least four cats to stand on together. It was in the center of an even vaster clearing than the one before, with four towering oaks hanging over her.

"Willowkit."

Startled at her name, Willowkit turned around in alarm. "Who's there?"

"Up here."

The cream kit looked up at the rock. Perched on top, with stardust glittering at his paws was a ginger tom so red that he seemed to be made of cold fire. He held the scent of something that she automatically recognized as ThunderClan, but it was somehow a bit different. He twitched his ears and nodded kindly at her. "Do not be alarmed, Willowkit. My name is Firestar."

"F-Firestar?" Willowkit squeaked. "Are you from ThunderClan?"

The tom shook his head sadly. "No, although I once was. I am from StarClan, and I have brought you here for a purpose. Look around you, beyond the trees, and tell me what you see."

Puzzled, Willowkit stared at the oaks around her. They seemed to shimmer, and fade briefly back into the large Thunderpath she had seen before. Then there was merely bark and leaves once more. "I see grey stone. And monsters. My mother told me about monsters, and the Thunderpath."

Firestar nodded. "This was the Clan's old home. We used to live here, in the forest, but Twolegs overran it to build this giant Thunderpath. Then we were forced to travel to the lake, on the Great Journey."

Willowkit wrapped her tail around her paws. Ravenpool had told her and her siblings about Twolegs and the Great Journey. "But then, why am I here?"

"Your visions are something sent from StarClan." Firestar leapt off the rock and faced her, eyes glittering. "Willowkit, I am going to talk to you now about some very serious things. I do not know if you will fully understand, but you must listen."

Somehow unable to speak, Willowkit nodded.

"Your brother can hear the thoughts of cats as they pass through their minds, as you learned yesterday. But that does not mean that he should be a medicine cat. You saw that he will be a father, and medicine cats are forbidden to do so. Willowkit, you are the one destined to be Berrywhisker's apprentice. Badgerkit may hear the thoughts in the minds of cats, but you can _see_ what has, or will, happen. You can read hearts."

Willowkit frowned in confusion. Firestar was right – she didn't quite understand. "Should I keep it a secret?"

"In this Clan? I think you ought," replied Firestar enigmatically.

Willowkit shook her head, befuddled. "But what about Applekit?"

Firestar smiled sadly at her. "Your sister holds a power as well, but her paws are already set on a dark path to use them."

"Applekit isn't evil!" said Willowkit crossly.

"Look up at the moon."

Willowkit gazed at the silver sphere.

"Look carefully and closely at it. Now tell me what you see."

Willowkit stared into the white depths. She saw Heatherclaw leading a patrol of cats out of the camp, but this was much larger than hunting groups or border watching. It was almost half the Clan. Tigerstripe, Redfeather, Rockpelt, Thornpaw, Dawnheart, Twitchkit, Whiteheart, Silverpaw, Bluecloud, and…Applekit! The ginger she-cat was marching away, and Willowkit saw herself, Badgerkit, and Ravenpool looking after her in grief and pain. But Applekit never once looked back. The remaining cats, Jaggedstar, Berrywhisker, Stormclaw, Dustpaw, Streamfur, Mintfur, Sunpaw, Sagetail, Eagleclaw, Badgerkit, Willowkit, and Ravenpool crouched in the clearing of the camp. Jaggedstar stood, licked her whiskers, and marched into her den, but not before Willowkit saw a regretful expression cross her face.

Confused, Willowkit snapped out of her trance and saw Firestar gazing at her. "The Clan was splitting," Willowkit stammered. "Heatherclaw left the camp with lots of cats, and Applekit…"

"Your sister is not what she seems," Firestar warned. "Her ability to fluff out her coat makes her smarter. Every time Applekit does that, she becomes a little cleverer. I wouldn't be surprised if she talks like apprentices right now, and a warrior when she becomes an apprentice."

Willowkit shivered. "But…she is not what she seems? What do you mean?"

"List some qualities your sister has."

"Um, she's thoughtful, careful, strong, smart, and always tries to be the best she can," listed Willowkit. "And she likes to talk with the apprentices a lot."

Firestar nodded. "She will want to make her Clan strong, and make alliances and supporters. Willowkit, Applekit hides a dreadful ambition."

"To be leader?" Willowkit twitched her ears in puzzlement. "What you said makes her sound like she wants to be leader. Is that so bad?"

"No, not in itself. But what she plans to become is terrible." Firestar got to his paws and seemed to see something past Willowkit. "I must go now."

"Wait!" Willowkit begged. "Tell me more. What do you mean about Applekit?"

Firestar shot a glance at her, his fiery red pelt beginning to fade. "You will learn to read the sky. To call down images only when you want to."

"How do I do that?" demanded Willowkit.

But Firestar was almost gone now, his body a thin outline against the trees. "Badgerkit is wise in the way of cats. Applekit is wise in the way of the world. Willowkit is wise in the way of the sky."

Just before he disappeared, Willowkit heard him whisper something that sounded ominously like a prophesy. "The night will grow thorns to straighten what is broken."

Then Firestar was gone. Willowkit sat up in her mossy nest, breathing heavily. The sun's early rays stretched across the camp, blocked by Dawnheart, whose sleeping form was stretched near the nursery's entrance. A mint green butterfly lazily fluttered down from the gap in the roof and landed on the sleeping Applekit's nose. The ginger she-cat unconsciously twitched her whiskers and the butterfly shot up, before wobbling out of the den once more. Willowkit stared thoughtfully at her sleeping sister. Could this little kit really be hiding a horrible, secret ambition?

_No,_ Willowkit tried to convince herself. Out loud, she murmured, "Never. Not Applekit." But inside, recalling her conversation with Firestar, there was an uneasy prickle deep down in her mind. Shivering, she curled up in her nest, wrapped her tail firmly against her nose, and finally fell into a dreamless sleep.


End file.
